Elisabeth de la Croix de Castries, Duchesse de Magenta
Také známý jako: Elisabeth de la Croix de Castries, Duchesse de Magenta, Duchesse de Magenta, Elisabeth, Magenta
## Basic Information
The Duchesse de Magenta was Elisabeth de la Croix de Castries (22 April 1834 -- 21 September 1900), wife of Patrice de MacMahon, Duke of Magenta, who served as President of the French Republic from 1873 to 1879. As the wife of the President of the Republic (who held a marshal's and ducal title), she was simultaneously France's "first lady" and a duchess -- a unique position in the early Third Republic.
## Connection to Marie's Diary
MacMahon's presidency (1873-1879) coincided directly with the early years of Marie's diary. As a Bonapartist sympathizer (through Cassagnac), Marie would have been aware of MacMahon's conservative, monarchist-leaning presidency and the political turmoil surrounding it. The Duchesse de Magenta represented the highest level of French social and political life.